Chicken Enchilada Skillet Dinner: Low Carb Tex-Mex

One pan chicken enchilada skillet dinner recipe is quick, easy, and low carb. It cooks in about 15 minutes, has 7 net carbs per serving and is so good the whole family will love it! This, y’all, is the perfect weeknight meal! It’s cheesy, creamy explosions of Tex-Mex flavor in every single keto-friendly bite. Be sure to check out my giant guide to cauliflower rice techniques, too!

This was one of my most satisfying adaptions ever. I mean, I’ve made low carb chicken enchilada casserole before but honestly the lack of corn tortillas and corn flavor kind of left me frustrated. It was like biting into a beautiful chocolate cake and finding out it was carob – no matter how many times someone tells me that carob tastes like chocolate my tastebuds vehemently disagree.

Ick.

So I kept trying to figure out something that would give me that early, sweet corn flavor without the carbs. Finally I read that baby corn on the cob – those minuscule corn cobs used in Asian cooking have almost no net carbs! Apparently the tiny cobs are harvested before the sugars develop so it’s mostly fiber.

Fiber with the flavor of corn.

This has opened up a world of possibilities to me! The very first one being that I can now have chicken enchilada skillet dinner without the high carb backlash. You have no idea how happy that makes me.

I’ve been struggling so much, lately. About 2 months ago my body stopped absorbing the thyroid meds I was on and I put on about 15 pounds pretty much overnight. I cried all the time, I was so tired that my hair hurt, and every muscle ached. I had NO idea that something was wrong. I guess it was the hypo-thyroid brain fog?

Every day I continued to push myself to get up at 4:30 am and go to the gym. I pushed myself through my regular workout. I cut back on calories, finally going on straight protein shakes and fat. I felt puffy and icky. At my regular appointment my doctor took blood and his nursed called me in something like 14 seconds.

“We’re changing your meds. I have no idea how you even made it into the office.”

Apparently over the years I’ve gotten really, really good at pushing myself beyond what is humanly possible.

So they changed my meds. It’s been 8 weeks and I had a blood test today. I’m still waiting on the results. If you think this has a happy ending and I’m going to tell you how terrific I feel you’re wrong. I feel awful. I am exhausted. I haven’t been able to take off the weight that I gained even though I bumped up the intensity of my workouts and added 30 minutes for 90 minutes a day total – 5 days a week. My inner anorexic teenager is disgusted with how I look and I’m tempted to just throw in the towel and grab a handful of the Apple Jacks the kids left on the table.

But I won’t. I won’t because I refuse to give in to my lack of thyroid. I refuse to back down and become a lump of exhausted flesh. I refuse to give up my life to this … I don’t know… is it a disease once your thyroid has been removed?

Syndrome.

So, why am I telling you this? Because out of the couple of hundred thousand people who read Lowcarb-ology every month (thank you, by the way. Muah!) there has to be a few of you that are struggling and I want you to know you are not alone. It is a struggle and NO ONE understands the complete and utter exhaustion. Even if you aren’t hypothyroid staying on low carb can be a struggle – we all have struggles.

But you can do this. You can do it for the rest of today. And when you get up in the morning you can do it for tomorrow. And the next day. And you know what? Eventually that fat is going to give up. That hypothyroid demon that sits on your shoulders? It’s going to give up.

Eventually you’re going to win because you’re not going to stop — and neither am I.

As long as you keep reading I’ll keep trying to make our favorite foods into foods that support our health goals, k? Deal?

Good.

You May Need…

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This is a nonstick skillet I’m considering. It’s lighter in weight than my cast iron (which I love but it’s getting more and more difficult to pick it up) but doesn’t have any of the weird chemical residues of nonstick pans – and it looks cool! Also – if you can’t find baby corn where you are you can get it on Amazon for a pretty decent price – Whole Baby Corn

Marye

Denise

We made this tonight.. it was amazing .. I added a little more chicken , diced tomatoes and stock. Just a little bit more. My family loved it thank you!!

Marye

Sep 12, 2018

YAY! So glad you liked it.

Nancy

Feb 09, 2019

I looked at baby corn on regular canned vegetable aisle and carbs were extremely high. Went to Asian section and found low carb ones. Just for info to anyone wanting to get ingredients. 🙂

Donielle

Nov 19, 2018

Loved this… I too struggle with Hashimotios . It’s awful ????

Sarah

Jan 27, 2019

Same. I have hashimotos and PCOS. Its a huge struggle. I know i dont eat enough to maintain my weight but science isnt applicable when your body doesnt work right. I finally figured out its what you eat and not how much when you have these conditions. Learning that has helped me manage my weight better. I appreciate these lower carb recipies and to hear there are others out there that understand.

Kindra Rice

Jul 21, 2017

Are the nutrition facts for the whole pan or how big of a serving? Thanks!

Marye

Jul 27, 2017

The nutrition informaiton is for 1 serving – or 1/4 of the recipe.

T. M

Jul 24, 2017

We are currently on a low carb diet and this meal fit right in. I used the food processor to finely chop cauliflower. My husband doesn’t care for cauliflower said he would like to have this again sometime.

Marye

Jul 27, 2017

That’s great news! So glad you liked it!

Cammie Fisher

Aug 07, 2017

WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A VIDEO ON HOW TO GET THE LIQUID OUT OF RAW CAULIFLOWER??? WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT, sorry for all the caps, just notice it. I really want to make and try, but don’t understand all the cauliflower stuff thanks Cam

Marye

Sep 03, 2017

Right? I was so excited to know that it was ok to eat that tiny, canned baby corn!

Misty

Oct 14, 2017

I have found cauliflower rice in the frozen section. Do you think that would work? Also I want to say thank you for your encouraging words!! I had a brain tumor removed 2 years ago and it destroyed my pituitary gland. I am now pin steroids and have found it nearly impossible to lose weight! I’m about ready to throw in the towel as well, but your words are encouraging and I refuse to give up as well!!

Marye

Melissa

Marye

Oct 24, 2017

I believe so – if you are watching your carbs. All the recipes are low in carbs. Some are high in fat.

Keisha

Nov 17, 2018

I’m new at all this and I don’t understand how I’m supposed to lose weight on a low carb high fat meal…I’m so frustrated trying to figure this diet out. And what I can and can’t have. Family(kid) friendly meals. Budget friendly.

Hedy

Dec 30, 2017

I just finished reading Dr. Berg’s The New Body type Guide and I found it to be very interesting. Especially his recommendations for diet and exercise for different health issues.you may have. I am wishing you well and hope you are feeling better. I can’t wait to.trt.this recipe as I too have greatly missed CORN!

Neva

Marye

Jan 30, 2018

YAY Neva! So glad that it was something you enjoy!

Candace

Mar 22, 2018

Thanks for the yummy recipe. I made this last night. I am just starting my journey into the low carb lifestyle and so it was the first time working with cauliflower in this way. Thanks for sharing your experience with hypothyroidism. I too have this problem and it’s good to know that I am not alone in the struggle.

Eileen McGarvey

Penny

May 07, 2018

My husband actually sent this pin to me so I tried it and we’re sold. I didn’t find a lot of moisture in the fresh cauliflower. I will use my food processor next time because I make a mess when I try to chop it! The flavors were very good, hubby asked to have this often. Thanks for sharing!

Tiffany

Ciclo de Carboidratos

Sandi

Jan 01, 2019

Thank you for the amazing recipe! My husband is carb free and I am constantly searching for hearty foods to make for him (and me). I used fire roasted tomatoes and ground chipotle chili powder that I feel like added a little punch – such a good spicy flavor (not too spicy though).

Eddy Hupp

Mar 22, 2019

Tasted good, have seen on hi faluton carb , that he was making a tortilla, and used a corn extract , tho the recipe called for the baby corn, have you tried the extract, it is really expensive $30.00 on amazon, for small bottle. Keep up the good work, the ADA sure is not much help on a diet for diabetics.